Plastic Gun Ban In Undetectable Firearms Act Extended Despite 3D Printer Guns

The plastic gun ban known as the Undetectable Firearms Act has been extended despite the upcoming role of 3D printer guns in the fight over gun control. But are they all one shot wonders in any case?

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, one of the most controversial ideas is the 3D printer gun design, although 3D printers can also make prosthetic hands for cheap in Africa.

Unfortunately for NRA fans, 3D printers produce plastic pieces and even these plastic guns require metal or they’ll fall apart within a few shots. For example, one of the first 3-D printable handgun designs called the Liberator is composed of 15 plastic parts, with a metal firing pin and a block of steel implemented in the design so it compiles with the Undetectable Firearms Act, which bans firearms undetectable by metal detectors and X-Ray machines. The plastic barrel apparently can’t handle more than one shot since the instructions recommend “printing multiple barrels and using each only once. Swapping the barrels is simple and fast…”

The ATF actually tested two plastic guns using varying degrees of hardened plastics using the Liberator design. The first plastic gun was capable of firing eight shots, but the second weapon exploded when it was fired. Needless to say, the ATF stopped the tests.

This hasn’t prevented politicians from freaking out and ordering these 3D printable handguns to be banned. For example, Congressman Steve Israel says, “Security checkpoints, background checks, and gun regulations will do little good if criminals can print plastic firearms at home and bring those firearms through metal detectors with no one the wiser.”

In fact, some politicians want 3D printers to be illegal for printing out any weapons and the State Department claimed the Liberator violated arms exports laws. In response to attempts to stomp out 3D printer guns, Pirate Bay started hosting the designs, along with 3D printable bullets, and a new rifle design that shoots 14 shots.

So Democrats wanted to use the Undetectable Firearms Act in order to implement a complete plastic gun ban which would include 3D printers. They also contended the current law allowed for removable metal parts which could allow the majority of the weapon to pass through safety checkpoints undetected.

Mike Hammond, legislative counsel for Gun Owners of America, opposed renewing the plastic gun ban law at all:

“[The Democrats] just spent all year trying to effectively destroy the gun lobby. So why in heaven’s name, given this intransigence, should we give them this Christmas present?”

But an overwhelming bipartisan vote passed the Undetectable Firearms Act, with a majority of Republicans agreeing it needed to be extended once again.

Do you think the Undetectable Firearms Act should have implemented a 3D printer plastic gun ban?